Who’s the boss?

Alyssa Milano, that’s who. The former child star and current B-list bombshell has been lending her fame to various causes over the past few years, doing stuff like visiting Africa for UNICEF.

So I guess we shouldn’t be totally shocked that Alyssa busted out a blog item today on … network neutrality? The most super-duper important, bone-crushingly boring tech issue since the great encryption debates of the 1990s?

But I guess that’s just how she rolls. With the House poised to vote on its version of a bill that would hand big telecom companies the right to collect tolls on their Internet highways, Alyssa decided it was time her views on the matter were heard.

So, what did she have to say? I’d argue that she knew the issue but may have overstated the possible impact of some new Internet tolls. Judge for yourself:

A major communications law is moving through Congress right now and will likely pass — it will either have a section bolstering Network Neutrality or hurting it. The big companies want to defeat the “Markey Amendment” which will preserve Internet freedom. It comes up for a vote starting this week in a House committee, and will come up later in the full House and Senate as well. The only way the “Markey Amendment” will pass is if we speak up.

If we are silent and these companies win, say goodbye to small and start up businesses. If we don’t stand up for Internet freedom, big business will pay for dominant placing, making it impossible for young entrepreneurs to compete. Corporations will have the ability to steer you to the services they are partial to. If your Internet provider is Comcast do you think they will allow quick access to iTunes if they have financial stakes in a different music service? These corporations will take away our right to choose.

Quite a bit o’ meat there from Ms. Milano. And she’s right on message … if you’re not a major telephone company. Kudos, Alyssa. I mean, you don’t see Tony Danza fighting the good fight, right? We here at The T.C. would be happy to discuss this at length with you at any time … day or night.

Best part of the whole thing is the press release we received today from the SavetheInternet.com Coalition, which is soliciting signatures to support the Markey Amendment. The group listed a number of influential people who are on their side, leading with Alyssa Milano, of course. That would be Alyssa Milano ahead of Internet luminaries like Vint Cerf and Craig Newmark and Eli Pariser (executive director of MoveOn.org).

I guess if one were forced to pick between Alyssa, Vint or Craig as your lead spokesperson, you know who’d be the boss. (Sorry Craig.)